The Wounds of Christ

It is easy to feel distant from the person Jesus, a poor Jewish man who lived 2,000 years ago. Meditating on the wounds of the crucified Jesus in my church, it occurred to me that each of his wounds speaks to the suffering we all go through in this life. Jesus may be gone, but Christ is with us always.

The crown of thorns on his head bleeds for those who suffer from anguish, anxiety, mental illness, and languishing.

The stripes on his back bleed for enslaved and exploited workers of the world who are exploited for their labor, for all of us who carry heavy burdens.

The wounds in his hands bleed for the abused, violated, assaulted, murdered and disrespected.

The wound in his side, piercing his Sacred Heart, bleeds for the betrayed, lonely, broken-hearted and depressed.

The nails in his feet bleed for those who have no choice but to walk, for the immigrants, migrants and refugees.